A blog with the door locked...

I don't normally write my blogs this early in the morning/late at night, but since I am jetlagged and I have just finished a call with a financial analyst in Basel, I thought I'd see if this puts me to sleep somehow and maybe entertain you in the process.

I have never really acknowledged the fact that I now have an audience well beyond my circle of friends and that includes visitors from East Asia (even someone from Laos would you believe?!). I would especially like to acknowledge Dong Woo (I hope I got it right Dong!). Dong has written to me to say thanks for the blog and how it has made him think about writing one himself and maybe move to America. Well Dong! As I mentioned in my email to you, JUST GO FOR IT, MATEY! And I think you should for two reasons:

1. A blog is a good way to remind yourself of stuff you have done, people you have met and places you have been to...

2. A move to America would only help mess this country up even more than I can do on my very own...so come and help out.


I am now back in AZ (AZEEE! not AZED as I am constantly reminded!). The weather's nice, the people friendly as ever - even the lady from the shuttle service who claims to have taken me home plenty of times though this was my first time on a shuttle - since I had no ride back home (thanks Kelly!) and potentially no keys to my apartment.

A worthy note is my encounter this eve on my plane from Houston to Phx with Trish. Trish is a 43 yo lady with no job and a house to sell in Phx (ouch Trish! Nothin's shifting around here!). Well Trish took on her to make me feel reassured about my stay in Phoenix - this was after I told her about the drive by shooting just around the corner from my house which my sister lives to tell ..well I will tell you more about that in the next blog. She is fine anyway.

Back to Trish...Trish has lived in Arizona since the age of 4 (she was born in Minnesota). Well, Trish has ONLY been witness to a killing rampage one of her disgruntled neighbour went on last year (killing 4 people), has ONLY been robbed of her possessions twice and once at gun point by a guy who broke into her house, has ALWAYS owned a gun and would kill ANY bastard who'd try any dirty trick on her.

Suffice to say that Trish offered me a lift back home and/or a sleep on her couch...uh??? After what she told me I was prepared to sit all night in front of my apartment rather than be anywhere near Trish's fully alarmed, camera covered, machine gun protected abode.

Ok, I think I should make an effort and go to bed...though not before I have triple checked that my front door is locked.